The Norfolk Admirals are reporting that the Tampa Bay Lightning have traded minor league defenseman Jay Leach to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for RW minor leaguer Brandon Segal and a 2008 7th round pick.

The first move of the deadline for the Tampa Bay Lightning has finally occurred. TSN is reporting the Lightning have traded winger Vaclav Prospal to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenseman Alexandre Picard and a 2nd or 3rd round pick in 2009.

Picard, a 22 year old 6'2" 220 lbs blueliner, has 8 goals and 38 points in 53 games with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL this season to go along with 31 penalty minutes and a -8 rating. Picard was an AHL All-Star this season who also had 4 scoreless games worth of action with the Flyers this season. Last year the defenseman played 62 games with the big club racking up 3 goals and 22 points to go along with 17 penalty minutes and a -24 rating.

According to Hockey Forecaster, Picard, "Has poise and maturity with and without the puck. Can be a factor in all three zones and already displays consistency in his overall play." However, they go on to say he, "Needs to do a better job of keeping opposing forwards honest with more physical play. May not put up big offensive totals in the NHL."

As we wait to see what the roster outcomes are to be, I must digress. It is not good (but necessary) to lose anybody, except maybe Prospal, Gratton, Boyle or Richards, maybe even Vinny. But what if we had changed coaches back in November, and were still in the hunt? Maybe brought the team together, appointed a captain, and rolled four lines conistently?

Erik Erlendsson writes that defenseman Kevin Quick, who was recently dismissed from Michigan of the CCHA, has had his name added to the roster of Des Moines of the USHL on the league's statistical website. Erlendsson goes on to write that the Lightning are unsure at this time whether or not Quick has indeed joined Des Moines.

Of Note: There has been no announcement from the Des Moines club, nor is Quick listed on Des Moines' roster on the team's official site. However, Pointstreak.com has the transaction of Quick being added to the Buccaneers listed on its player movement page.

Earlier this year Lightning prospect Luca Cunti was mistakenly listed on a Chicago Steel statistical report when he was still with St. Cloud State University. He would join Chicago a month later.

The Norfolk Admirals have announced that the Lightning have traded defenseman Dan Jancevski to Dallas in exchange for minor league right winger Junior Lessard. In addition, the Admirals have acquired center Paul Szczechura from the Stars' AHL affiliate, the Iowa Stars, for future considerations.

Lessard, a 27 year old 6'0" 200 lbs forward, has 10 goals and 21 points in 36 games this season with 15 penalty minutes. His career season came in 2005-2006 with Iowa of the AHL when he had 26 goals and 58 points in 66 games.

Szczechura, a 22 year old 5'11" 190 lbs center, has 2 goals and 5 points in 29 games this season. Last year, as an ATO after graduating from Western Michigan, he had 3 goals and 7 points in 14 games. In his senior season in college, Szczechura had 19 goals and 45 points in 37 games.

Norfolk has also announced that they have recalled right wing Marek Kvapil from Mississippi of the ECHL and reassigned left wing/defenseman Mike Egener to Mississippi. Egener has missed 33 games this season with injuries.

The Lightning have dealt overage prospect Bryce Lampman to the Dallas Stars in exchange for prospect defenseman Mario Scalzo Jr. Scalzo, 23, has 1 goal and 9 points in 15 games so far this season for Iowa of the AHL. The 5'10" 190 lbs defenseman is most well known for his brief stint in 2004-2005 with Rimouski of the QMJHL where, after being acquired at the trade deadline in his overage season, he scored 13 goals and 44 points in 23 regular season games helping the Oceanic and Sidney Crosby reach the Memorial Cup final. Scalzo Jr's best professional season came as a rookie in 2005-2006 when he posted 4 goals and 33 points in 74 games.

The trade of Lampman resolves the Admirals' issue of having one more veteran than they were allowed to dress under AHL rules.

Russianprospects.com is reporting Lightning prospect Denis Kazionov has left Novokuznetsk and is currently trying out for Avangard Omsk of the Superleague. Kazionov had not played for Novokuznetsk for nearly a month and is scoreless in 8 games this season.

The web site also reports Evgeny Artyukhin was released by Omsk yesterday. "The young towering forward struggled to deliver this season for his new club, with just 3 goals and 2 assists in 19 games," russianprospects.com reports. "His high salary has reportedly prevented him from joining one of the clubs looking to employ his services."

Sourcing the USHL, it was reported by Bolt Prospects that Lightning prospect Luca Cunti had been listed in the box score for the Chicago Steel's 10/20 USHL game. As it turns out, Cunti's name was mistakenly listed on the box score by Pointstreak.com, which is used by the USHL to provide game results. The corrected box score can be found here. Cunti remains enrolled at St. Cloud State.

In communicating with the Lightning this evening, Bolt Prospects has learned there are, unfortunately, no new updates on Cunti's situation as he remains waiting for final amateur clearance from the NCAA.

Contradicting reports from earlier this summer, Eurohockey.net is reporting Lightning prospect Denis Kazionov has transferred to Novokuznetsk of the Russian Superleague. Previous indications were the younger Kazionov might play for CSKA this year.

And in long overdue news, Eurohockey.net also reports that Lightning prospect Albert Vishnyakov transferred to Spartak in May from Dynamo.

The slow process of reassembling the Mississippi Sea Wolves continued today with the Wolves' acquisition of defenseman Matthew Deschamps from the Phoenix Roadrunners in exchange for financial considerations. Deschamps, 27, had 2 goals and 9 points with 94 penalty minutes in 2006-2007 split between Charlotte and Phoenix. The 6'0" 195 lbs blueliner is a graduate of the University of Maine. His career season in college came as a senior in 2004-2005 when he posted 1 goal and 7 points with 30 penalty minutes in 29 games. The trade may ultimately re-unite Deschamps with his former Black Bears teammate Mike Lundin who will find himself in a battle to make the AHL level with Norfolk once camp begins in the Fall. The two played together during the 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 seasons.